Crimping device



R. w. FALCONER CRIMPING DEVICE Oct 2, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l ((Zorzzeys.

Filed March 8, 194'? Oct; 2, 1951 R. w. FALCONER 2,569,850

CRIMPING DEVICE Filed March 8, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 305:2?1f." i'hkwyev' FM w fi mmma Patented Oct. 2, 1951 GRIMPING DEVICE RobertW. Falconer, Lancaster, N. Y., assignor to ATF Incorporated, Elizabeth,N. J a corporation of New Jersey Application March 8, 1947, Serial No.733,307

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for shaping tubularblanks and more particularly to the manufacture of a tubular blankhaving a crimped portion adjacent one end to facilitate later operationsto form a collapsible tube therefrom. In a prior patent of BorisBogoslowsky, Serial No. 2,396,635, granted March 19, 1946, there isdisclosed and claimed a collapsible tube formed of sheet materialconsisting of a flexible cylindrical tubular body portion having anintegral shoulder and neck, the shoulder consisting of a plurality ofsmall folds, the neck consisting of twisted folds forming continuationsof the folds of the shoulder with the twisted folds of the neck pressedto form a shortened, thickened, tubular wall of substantial strength andrigidity.

In the manufacture of collapsible tubes of the type disclosed in theBogoslowsky patent, it has been found that the operations of forming theshoulder and neck can be more easily carried out if the end of thetubular body is first submitted to a crimping operation.

The present invention is directed to a method of an mechanism forimparting this preliminary crimp to the end of a tubular body whichmethod possesses certain advantages over previously known methods ofaccomplishing this result. While the invention will hereinafter bedescribed more particularly in connection with the preliminary shapingof the end of a tubular blank used for manufacturing collapsible tubes,it is of course to be understood that the invention may be employed inany case where a tubular blank is to be provided with a crimped portion.

In carrying out the invention I provide a pair of members, one of whichis rotatable with respect to the other. Between these members, spacedequidistantly and concentrically of the axis, I provide a plurality ofrods of equal length, the rods terminating in spherical heads or ballswhich are received in the two members. The rods are thus free to rotateor pivot in any direction around either of the members. As stated, oneof the members is provided with means for imparting rotary motion to it.

Rotation of this member causes the rods to change their positions withrespect to the axis. Thus, if the rods are originally parallel to theaxis of the crimping device, movement of one of the members causes themto assume inclined positions moving in spiral baths about the centralaxis. The rods, being supported at each end, are always maintained atthe same distance from each other and as they extend in an inclinedposition from one of the members to the other across the central openingof the members, they engage the wall of a blank in the opening atequally spaced intervals to crimp or fold the material of which the wallis made.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown one embodiment of theinvention. In this showing:

Fig. 1 is a central, vertical, sectional view of the two relativelyrotatable members and the crimping rods showing one means for actuatingthe crimping device;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of one end of one of the tubular bodiesprior to crimping;

Fig. 4 is a similar view after crimping;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal, sectional view on line 55 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a central, vertical, sectional. view with the crimping rods intheir extreme or open'position;

Fig. '7 is a horizontal, sectional view on line 1-1 of Fig. 6 at the endof the crimping operation; and

Fig. 8 is a horizontal, sectional view on line 8--8 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings, the crimping mechanism comprises a pair ofcylindrical members I0 and 12, one of which fits into the other asshown. One of the members is shown as being rotatable with respect tothe other and the two members are so mounted that the rotatable memberis also capable of axial movement with respect to the other. As shown,the lower outer member ID is mounted in a split clamping ring M, theclamping ring being capable of being adjusted to hold the member In bymeans of a bolt or screw IS. The other side or end I8 of the clampingring is mounted in any suitable support or bracket or on the frame ofthe machine of which the crimping apparatus forms a part. The uppermember I2 is likewise mounted in a split clamping ring 20 which is heldin position on the member l2 by bolt or screw 22. l

A plurality of rods 24, illustrated as twelve in number, are arrangedbetween the upper and lower members. These rods are of equal length andare spaced equidistantly and concentrically around the axis (see Figs. 5and '7). The rods are provided with balls 25 on their upper ends andballs 26 on their lower ends, these balls being mounted in seats in theupper and lower members which permit the rods to assume various angleswith respect to the upper and lower members and with respect to theaxis. The balls 25 are m0unt ed in seats 28 in the movable member 12 andthe balls 26 are mounted in similar seats 30 in a detachable ring 32carried by the lower member. While theoretically these seats should bespherical, I have found that for practical operation the seats can beformed as drilled openings with the conical drill tip forming the bottomof the seat and the cylindrical hole formed by the drill forming theside walls of the seats. The balls may be removably confined in theseseats by rings 34 provided with beveled or curved walls engaging thefaces of the balls adjacent the point where the rods are attached. Theserings may in turn be retained in place by split or snap rings receivedbeneath shoulders 33 formed in the upper and lower members. I I IClamping ring 20, which carries the upper r'nov able member, is providedwith a lateral arm or extension 40 to which isponnected a link 42. Asshown, thearmw is forked as at 44 and the link 42 is connected theretoby a swivel connection 46.

. T e other end of the link is also provided with a swivel "connectionas to a rocker arm at. The rocker arm is fixed by" a key 52 to a rockshaft 54'. shaft is mounted in suitable bearings, one of which is shownas at 56 and is oscillated by suitable means (not shown), Oscillation ofV he shaft sk s in turn transmitted to the upper me ber 12 which isoscillated in the lower memher as indicated by the arrow 2 of thedrawings. The mounting of the uppermember with the swivel connections ateach end of the linkalso permits the upper member to have an axialinbviiient with respect to the lower member and the distance between thetwo members is controlled by the position of the rods 24. When the rods24 are in a position parallel to the axis as shown inFig. 6 of thedrawings, the ends of thero'ds will be at their greatest verticaldistance from each other and when the upper member is oscillated tobring the rods to an inclined position as shown in Figs. 1 and 7 of thedrawings, the upper member moves toward the lower member.

The tubular blanks T to be crimped are fed to the crimping mechanismonrods or posts 58 having" frusto conical upper ends 60, These posts maybe mounted on a suitableturret (not shown) and may be brought inaxialalignment with the crimping i'nember and then moved into the crimpingposition as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings. As shown, the tubular bodyis mounted on the post with a portion 62 of the material projectingbeyond thepost and when in erimping pbs it'ion thisportion 62 of thematerialoccupies most of thespace between the upper and lower members.'Ihrough shaft 54 and link 42 the upper member may be oscillated asindicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings. As there shown; the upper memberhas been oscillated through an arm of 150. Qne of the rods designated.by the reference numeral 24has its upper end at the po si=- tionindicated by the reference numeral 64, whereas its lower end is in thering 32 at a point 150 away, indicated by the reference numeral 66. HThe rod, having its upper end at the point in the eircumferencerepresented by, the. reference numeral 66, likewise extends across thecenter area of the crimping device and has its lower end at the pointindicated by the reference numeral 68. Likewise each of the other tenrods extends from the upper member to the lower member as indicated inFigs. 1 and 7 of thedrawing's with thesemembers 15G apart. Therods thusextend across the center area of the crimp- 4 ing mechanism and as theangle of rotation increases, approach the axis.

When a tube is'arranged in the crimping mechanism as shown in Fig. 6 ofthe drawings and the upper member rotated as indicated in Figs. 1 and'7, the rods in assuming the position shown in Fig. 7, engage the wall62 of the material within the crimping mechanism and fold the materialas shown in Fig. 4 to form the crimps 10.

By employing a crimping device consisting of straight rods which aresupported at each end and which are equidistantly spaced from each othertne rods a r e always maintained at the same distance from each other inany seleceted horizontal plane in any position of the crimping membersand uniform crimps or flutes are thus produced; In normal use it is notnecessary to open the device to the position indicated in Fig. i

6 with the crimpin rods arranged vertically. The movement of the uppermember toward open position may be arrested atany point after thecentral opening is large enough to receive the tubular body and withtherods still in a slightly inclined position. This can, of course, bevaried; by varyingthe amount of movement of the shaft 54 depending uponthe diameter of thetubes beme o e at d .onh fl t he o ,en s m ment ofthe upper member is permitted through the ball and socket connections onthe link 52 and by thefact that the upper member is in reality supportedby the rods. 7 I

One important feature of the invention istha't the tubes Tmay bepositioned on the p'osts 53 r and retained byv any suitable means in afixed ill position during the crimping operation. In previousconstructions it was necesary to freely support thetubular bodies on theposts to permit variable lengthwisemovement of the tubes duringcrimping. As the operation is performed in connection with the.manufacture of collapsible tubes for tooth paste, shaving cream and thelike; which must be of a standard length; such former practice requiredan additional operation in bringing the tubes to the right length aftercrimping. In the present apparatus there is no movement of thetubularbody during the crimp ing operation and the tubular body can thereforebe exactly positioned prior to crimping;

While the invention has been illustrated with the lower member Ii!stationary and the upper member I2 rotatable and also capable ofaxialmovement, it will of course be understood that the relativemovement of the two members can be obtained by movement of either ofthem;

The form of the invention herein shown is; of course; illustrative andthe invention is not lim-- ited thereby except as set forth in theappended other; and means for rotating one of said inem=.

bars with respect to the other to cause the rods to extend at an angleto the axis of said mem bers across the. space between said members andcause he tubular members to move toward each D b t. w H I 2Apparatus'for forming parallel ,spiralpleats in a tubularbody'comprising a pair of axially spaced, co-axial tubular members, eachmember having a plurality of seats concentrically arranged and spacedequidistantly from each other, a plurality of rods, equal in number tothe number of seats, arranged between the two members, balls mounted onthe ends of the rods and received in the seats, the rods, in onerelative position of the members, being parallel to and concentric withthe axis of the tubular members to space the tubular members axially amaximum distance from each other, and means for rotating one of themembers with respect to the other to cause the rods to extend at anangle to the axis of said members across the space between said membersand cause the tubular members to move toward each other.

3. Apparatus for forming parallel spiral pleats in a tubular bodycomprising a pair of axially spaced, co-axial tubular members, eachmember having a plurality of seats concentrically arranged and spacedequidistantly from each other, a plurality of rods, equal in number tothe number of seats, arranged between the members, balls on the ends ofthe rods and received in the seats, the rods, in one relative positionof the tubular members, being each parallel to and concentric with theaxis of the tubular members to space the tubular members axially amaximum distance from each other, and means for rotating one of themembers with respect to the other to cause the rods to extend at anangle to the axis of said members across the space between said membersand cause the tubular members to move toward each other whilemaintaining said rods in corresponding spaced relation to each other.

ROBERT W. FALCONER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 477,362 Grisel June 21, 1892866,223 Bitty Sept. 17, 1907 1,245,952 Nichols Nov. 6, 1917 1,667,498Simmons Apr. 24, 1928 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 18,458 GreatBritain Aug, 10, 1909

